Flying Without a Net

“One day John and George showed up…and told me we had a gig. I said, ‘No. I’ve got a steady job here.…I can’t expect more.’ And I was quite serious….But then I thought, ‘Sod it.’ I bunked over the wall and was never seen again by Massey and Coggins. Pretty shrewd move really, as things turned out.’”—Sir Paul McCartney

The successful corporate executive had just been fired after twenty years. He told me he had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but had been afraid to “fly without a net.” I have seen many people like him give up their dreams for the illusion of security, trading their hopes and aspirations for what they think is a safety net. The tragedy is: There is no net. There never was—and never will be. We are all, always, flying without a net. There is no job from which you can’t be fired, no house that can’t be destroyed, no life that can’t be lost, no gold that can’t be stolen, no stock that can’t lose its value, no security that can’t disappear.

So you might as well do what you want!

When I decided to sell my business management company and teach the Financial Stress Reductionâ Workshop full-time, it was really scary. I didn’t know if I would be able to sell enough workshops, on an on-going basis, to make a living. With the bookkeeping service, my clients paid me a fee every month. This created a regular income stream. With the workshop business, however, a customer paid once for the workshop and then was gone. I had to generate new customers every eight weeks. I didn’t know if I could do that. I was terrified.

But I loved teaching this workshop. All of my performing skills and financial skills were married in this creative outlet. My students were giving me great reviews and producing extraordinary results in their income. I had to go for it. I talked to people endlessly about the class and one by one, people enrolled. I would relax a bit at the beginning of each new course—I was safe for another eight weeks! But then, I’d look at the next course—no one was enrolled in it yet—and fear would strike again.

It took about three years before I started to trust that, if I followed my own program assiduously, there would always be people in the workshop. As long as I take action—think positive, send out ships and count my money—I make a wonderful income from work I love. And as long as I stay centered—swim with dolphins, survive the storms, and seek balance and enlightenment—I am happier than I have ever been in my life.

Make no decisions based on security. There is none. The safety net is an illusion. The only net you will ever have is the internal one you make for yourself. It is woven of goals, grit, determination, will, planning, resilience, creativity, and optimism. And the belief that if you fall, you have what it takes to get back up.

Today’s Affirmation: “I soar to tremendous heights of success!”

My portrait of the Beatles 1964

So here it is, twenty-plus years after I went full-time with the workshop business, still loving it, still swimming with dolphins, still enrolling people, still making money. Yes!! It works.

Oh, I can also still look ahead to the workshop after this one and cry, “Oh, no, there’s nobody in my next workshop! What if I’ve already gotten everyone who’s gettable? What if The Competition gets them before I do? What if…”

You can play the “what if” game too, can’t you? But it won’t do you or anyone else any good. I saw this quoted by one of my Facebook friends recently, ?”I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves.”—Louise L. Hay

A photographer client of mine once made me absolutely crazy with his “what ifs”. It was like he was determined to be anxious. As we worked together in class, he had clients and photography assignments lined up 4 months in advance, and then 6 months, and then 9 months! But it didn’t matter how far ahead he was guaranteed work – he could always see ahead to that blank space in the future where the unknown lurked. And what would he do then?

How much of a guarantee would make him feel safe? One year? Five years? That’s a zero sum game. Look, you can’t even know that you’ll be alive 9 months from now. Or even tomorrow. So give up the worries and spend all your creative energy on figuring out how to make money serving others and doing what you want. That’s how you’ll enrich the world as well as yourself.

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Jenee Dana

“I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to create your workshop and share it with us. The training...

2014-10-09T22:28:15+00:00

“I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to create your workshop and share it with us. The training I received in your workshop was incredible and the best thing I could have done as a brand new business owner because I am going to start my business the right way. And thanks for being you, because you give me permission to be me, and I love that.”—Jenee Dana, My Focus Book, LLC, 323-356-0420, ucla.jenee@ymail.com

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Jennifer Christianson

"I started reading Chellie's book and doing her affirmations about a year before I took her class. Prior to this...

2014-10-10T20:29:11+00:00

"I started reading Chellie's book and doing her affirmations about a year before I took her class. Prior to this I had many customers (30) that bid me out for each and every project (no quality customers). There was too much to manage and no continuity. A year later I had only 5 customers with regular monthly business and am billing more than double what I had in past years. Less stress, more money and a better life! Thank you Chellie for your help! My only mistake was not taking the class sooner!" — Jennifer Christianson, Account Executive, Transcontinental Direct, 310-937-2483

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Jack Molisani

"I took Chellie's Stress Reduction earlier this year and things went great — for awhile. While slogging through a particular...

2014-10-10T20:28:14+00:00

"I took Chellie's Stress Reduction earlier this year and things went great — for awhile. While slogging through a particular "effort-full" month I spotted I had stopped applying some of the principles in the workshop. So I decided right there to sign up for Chellie's follow-on workshop, and immediately made over $45,000 in commissions in the two weeks after I started. Coincidence? I think not!" — Jack Molisani, Lead Recruiter, ProSpring Technical Staffing, 888-378-2333 Ext. 2, www.ProSpring.net

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P. Hamilton

"Chellie's teachings, affirmations, words, workshop homework and, most importantly, her wisdom and fun-loving spirit helped shift old patterns and belief systems and revolutionize my life — above and beyond the finances.During her workshop, money flowed to me in increasing amounts even though Iwas starting up a new business at the time did not have a product to sell. I followed her homework suggestions and did the daily affirmations and my old programming about money dramatically shifted… money showed up in the form of unearned income: a reduction in my home and office rent, lowered rates through vendors and extra capital from investors--without asking. Even the right materials for my designs showed up in October--after a frustrating and exhaustive 1 1/2 year global search. But the most important shifts came through changes in my belief system which helped me build a solid foundation for my budding business. I am grateful to Chellie, her wit, smile and laughter--her gold shoes and magic wands. My business, my health, my wealth and I thank you! Take Chellie's workshop-- it will change your life! You will never fear your finances again!" — P. Hamilton, P. Hamilton Design

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Moira Shepard

"I have to tell you this is the most fun workshop/class/seminar I've ever taken — and you know what a...

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"I have to tell you this is the most fun workshop/class/seminar I've ever taken — and you know what a seminar junkie I am. Besides getting a lot of great information and meeting wonderful people (Dolphins, as Chellie calls us), it's just a kick to spend time with one of the most enlightened and entertaining women I've ever met. One of the results I've gotten from the class: I'm about to pay off $24,000 of my $32,000 credit card debt (mostly from seminars, instructional books and CDs!). Another: I'm inspired to start my own coaching sessions and workshops. In my book, Chellie is a goddess! — Moira Shepard, Radio Host, 310-923-8551, www.TriumphOverTrauma.com